Michelangelo - Lie Down Painting
from Discovering Great Artists

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Michelangelo - Lie Down Painting from Discovering Great Artists

One of Michelangelo's (MY-KUL-AN-JEH-LO) most famous and best loved works is his painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel which he painted entirely while lying on his back.

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Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564) - Italian painter and sculptor, Michelangelo, was the greatest Renaissance artist of all time. His greatest love was the study of the human body, both in painting and in sculpture. He concentrated on observing the human body and was often allowed into hospitals to study bodies of those who had died. Michelangelo saw himself as a sculptor more than a painter.

One of Michelangelo's best known and loved works is his painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. There is a popular story that Michelangelo painted the ceiling entirely while lying on his back as shown in a movie staring Charlton Heston (The Agony and the Ecstasy). Though the story is intriguing, the truth is that Michelangelo did not paint lying on his back. He painted standing using a unique scaffolding system that was strong enough to support himself and his workers. The scaffolding actually curved at the top to follow the shape of the ceiling. Michelangelo had to bend backwards and paint over his head, which must have made his neck and back ache and certainly must have made his arms sore too. He had to stand for long hours to paint the beautiful works on the ceiling. The work took just over four years to complete.

Even though Michelangelo painted standing, it is challenging, interesting and fun for young artists to experience painting while lying down. Tape a large sheet of paper to the underside of a table, and then paint!

Materials:

large sheet of butcher or poster paper
masking tape
large school table (at child height) or coffee table
tempera paints and brushes in sturdy cans or jars
floor under table covered with newspaper
artist in old clothes, bandana over hair optional
rags, paper towels, or sponges for clean up

Process:

1. Tape a large sheet of butcher paper or poster paper to the underside of a table, such as a child's school table or a household coffee table. The artist should be able to lie on his or her back under the table and comfortably reach the paper taped to the table with a paintbrush.
2. Cover the work area under the table with newspaper.
3. Assemble paints in jars or cans. Have brushes ready, one in each color of paint.
4. Lie down under the table. Relax and be comfortable. Paints should be within easy reach.
5. Begin painting on the "ceiling" of the table. Paint any subject or design desired. NOTE: Don't be surprised about drips and drops of paint falling from the "ceiling".
6. Leave the painting on the underside of the table to dry for several hours.
7. Remove the dry painting and display the "ceiling painting" on the ceiling of any room with additional tape.


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